A martial arts ace from Bradford is hoping to prove that it is ‘never too late to take up his beloved sport’ later this year as he competes in his first ever British Ju-Jitsu Championships.
Despite only starting the sport three years ago, Mohsin Hussain has already become one of the top competitors at the Onna Ju-Jitsu club in Bradford.
Taking up the sport, simply because his friend wanted somebody to accompany him to training, the 24-year-old has never looked back from his first day and is now predicted a medal finish at the national championships, in Walsall, in April.
At 24-years-old he was somewhat of a late starter in the martial arts field yet due to ‘hard-work’ and ‘dedication’ he was selected to by the Yorkshire club to be one of their representatives at the prestigious tournament.
Trained by Sensei Mumtaz Khan, a fifth degree blackbelt with over 16 years experience, Mohsin has committed his own time, training four times a week, and believes he has a good chance of coming away from the upcoming tournament with a medal.
“I am really looking forward to it now because, at the moment, the way things are going, I am predicted a medal which would just be amazing,” he said.
“It is the first time my club has taken part in the championships so if I could come back with anything it would be really rewarding. Gold is obviously the ultimate aim and would help give me a big step towards my goal of representing GB on the international stage.”
The International Ju-Jitsu Championships are set to be held in Denmark in the autumn and Mohsin says his target is to be included in the GB squad who will make the trip to Scandinavia.
He added: “To think I only started a couple of years ago, and didn’t really contemplate going further than regional’s, an international tournament would just be a dream come true.”
If successful in the British Championships, the GB squad is likely to be the next step for the local rising star.
Proving that you don’t have to take up Ju-Jitsu in your youth, Mohsin also urges all interested prospective martial artists.
“Ju Jitsu may not be the most well known or publicised sport in the world but once you get involved, it is certainly one of the most rewarding,” he said.
“The main thing it teaches is self-discipline so it isn’t a case of who can hit the hardest or who is the biggest, even our smallest competitor could beat the tallest.
“I would recommend it to anyone, with clubs always happy to take on beginners at any age. I only started when I was 21 and have never looked back.”
To keep up to date with Mohsin’s progress in upcoming tournaments, including the British Champions on the 5th April, follow him on Twitter at @deejay_adeeb
